Summer’s passing

Summer’s all packed and ready to head south for the winter. In five days, Summer’s scheduled to be on her way, leaving River City. Coming in behind on her train will be her cousin, Autumn. Oh it’s true, Autumn’s a fiery auburn beauty, but Summer’s still the girl of our dreams.

We spent some time this weekend at the lake; one of the last few weekends left before closing on October 10^th. Summer peeked out for a short visit during the day yesterday but it was clear she had other things on her mind. Packing, I guess.

So we make do without her as best we can. We ward off night’s chilly air by huddling close to campfires that dance to the beat of their wooden souls. In the mornings, our fall coats and heavy sweaters are zippered or buttoned and we cross our arms tightly to hoard in body heat. A few brave campers, similarly bundled, walk in shorts as protest
against the coming winter. A hint of winter zip is in the air, as welcome as an old lady bathed in cheap perfume that lingers unwanted long after she’s wandered away. Oh yes,
Old Man Winter’s bad breath is here already, (hopefully) long before he snowshoes in.

But there is more than just winter’s halitosic hint in the breeze and gusts. This weekend, there is melancholy here, too. A heaviness in the soul over Summer’s passing. We gaze into the campfire and recall the season’s fun we enjoyed, the sun we caught, the laughter we shared. Now all of it and everything of it coming to a close.

We humans don’t like unhappy endings; we grasp tightly to all happy endings, not wanting to say good-bye. We want the good times to go on and on and on. A figure of speech perhaps…but we would simply die for happy endings.

Would we? Wouldn’t we?

We are all hard-wired for happy endings. We expect them in the stories we read and we demand them in the talking pictures we watch. We feel cheated if these endings are not sugar and spice and everything nicely wrapped up, forever and ever amen. Many a Hollywood movie has been changed after “No, you can’t end it that way!” cries at advance screenings or focus group sessions.

So Summer, we’ll miss you. Maybe you could stay a little longer…give us a happier ending to your stay here. Maybe sleep on it a fortnight or three and then give us your answer…